For those looking for a higher education qualification in their discipline, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in English and Creative Writing, as well as Publishing, Languages, Drama, Contemporary Performance and Journalism. In both cases, their academic staff is second to none and you’ll find yourself being taught by some of the most well-known and respected names in the industry, including authors and poets whose books may well already line your shelves.

If you’re not in the market for a degree, then there are plenty of short courses on offer. Both universities again have several of these available, ranging from a scriptwriting masterclass to a course on how to build a children’s story, plus Manchester Met have an excellent summer writing school programme.

Away from the city’s academic classrooms, The Writing Squad offer an excellent free two year programme of workshops and 1-1 support is for writers aged 16-22 who live, work or study in the North of England and go on to support writers through their careers.

Comma Press offers regular short story courses and Cultureword regularly run creative writing workshops. Local publishers such as Fly On The Wall Press offer regular writing workshops too, and established writers often host one-off workshops and short courses. Head to our What’s On and select ‘Workshops’ or ‘Courses’ if that sounds like fun, and we’ll link lots below for a selection.